How To Check Voicemail from a Landline Phone

While text messaging is the preferred mode of communication among the youth these days, voice mail still comes in handy for those who prefer talking rather than chatting. However, sometimes, your mobile phone’s battery has run out, and you can’t check voice messages. One way to check if people have been calling you is by using a landline phone (or another phone, for that matter).

Note that this doesn’t work with all networks. But for networks that support accessing your voicemail through another phone, here are some instructions.

Ensure that your subscription allows outside access. If you are not sure you can do this, check with your service provider if messages can be retrieved from another phone. Most postpaid subscriptions allow this by default.

Dial your mobile phone from a landline phone. Note that you might incur extra charges for calling a mobile phone. The landline phone you are using should also be a touch-tone phone (and not pulse), so you can key in your passcode when prompted.

Wait for your voicemail prompt to answer. As soon as you hear your voice (or the default prompt), press the star key (*). This will activate your voicemail system’s interface for retrieving messages.

You will be prompted for your PIN. Use the landline phone’s keypad to input your access code. After your passcode, press the pound key (#) to confirm your input. Note that some voice mail systems don’t require confirmation after you enter the correct number of digits. Usually, this will be either a four or six-digit number.

Once you enter the correct PIN, the system will tell you how many messages you have. The voice prompt will also instruct you on how to listen to the messages. You will also be instructed on what number to press to replay, delete, or save the message.

Note that different voicemail systems use different key combinations. If you’re used to listening to messages through your mobile phone, though, the interface will likely be the same.

Here are a few tips to help you get by.

Choose a memorable PIN, which you can easily key in without fumbling. However, don’t choose a PIN that’s easy to guess. Don’t use sequences like 1234, or repeating PIN’s like 1111. Other people might get easy access to your voice mailbox this way.

If you’re expecting important calls, be sure to keep your phone’s battery charged. Most modern GSM and 3G phones can last up to a week standby, but with normal use, this will be reduced to one to two days of standby time.

If you’re expecting an important call, but your phone is running out of charge, you can also consider forwarding your calls to a landline or another mobile phone. This can be accessed through your phone’s call features, or by keying in *62 + the number you want to forward calls, then the # sign. Then, press send. This will forward your calls to another number if your phone is out of coverage area, or is turned off. Dial #62# to deactivate. Note that by default, your phone’s forwarding is probably set to divert to voicemail when it is not accessible.